Democrats want to end tax on natural gas

Democrats in the Iowa House are pressing for permanent elimination of the state tax charged on natural gas. Republicans propose lifting the sales tax, temporarily, for a couple of months this winter. But House Democrat Leader Dick Myers of Iowa City says it makes more sense to do away with it permanently.Myers says the state doesn’t tax necessities like food, and he considers natural gas a necessity, too.Myers says it won’t be hard for utility companies to make the change on your bills as everything is already computerized.Republicans, instead, plan to press forward next week with their bill to give most Iowa households a five-dollar break on their utility bills for the next two months. House Republican Leader Christopher Rants of Sioux City rejects the democrats’ idea.Rants would rather come up with a different way of taxing natural gas and electricity.The sales tax is charged per gallon of gasoline for your car, but it’s not that way for natural gas and electricity. You pay the five-percent sales tax on the total amount of natural gas you purchase. The 100-member House will debate the utility tax bill next week.